This is how to turn brown paper, paper bags and any other
paper scraps into cute and useful notepads and scribble pads. It is simple
to do, so even little children can help! They make great little presents and
if you start to save your paper now, you will have a good collection in no
time. Set aside a box for collecting half-printed pages from the desk, paper
shopping bags, scraps of pretty wrapping paper or wallpaper samples, and put
them to good use!

You will need:
A pile of scrap paper
Scissors
Scrap cardboard
PVA glue (white glue or school glue)

Decide on the size of your
notebook and cut a piece of cardboard as the backing. Use this to cut out a
number of pages for your notebook. You can mix and match papers and textures
or stick to one kind.

Stack them up with the cardboard underneath, bang them gently onto a hard
surface so that they lie true, and then put them flat on a table or counter
with the top edge protruding slightly over the edge. Weight the stack down
with a heavy book but leave the top edge uncovered.

Paint along the top of the
stack with the PVA glue, making sure that all the pages come into contact
with some glue (a finger comes in handy for this!). Leave to dry.

The notepads are now ready to use, but you may prefer to embellish them a
little - especially if you intend to give them as gifts. Try painting on an
extra thin layer of glue and dipping into glitter. Use a small piece of
ribbon or braid along the top edge, stick on buttons and bows, or just use
an attractive piece of gift wrap as the top page and finish by adding a
further, folded strip of the same paper to neaten. The possibilities are
endless and you will have fun experimenting.